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Suga said: 'I am sure that the next five years will show even more of an impact.'

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has tasked Suga, himself a father-of-four, with keeping Japan's population above the 100million mark until at least 2060.

Tuesday's numbers show the country will drop below that target by 2053, a slight improvement on previous predictions of 2048.

Japan's declining birth rate and ageing populace has been a concern for political leaders for years.

Overwork has also been referenced many times as a cause for the decline, with 11 per cent of companies admitting full-time workers clocked 80 hours of overtime a month last year

A report in 2016 also showed 40 per cent of Japanese singles had never had sex, leading many to conclude that a rise in internet porn and 'virtual girlfriends' was also to blame

The problem became particularly pressing last February, when it was revealed the country's population had actually shrunk for the first time since records began.

The reason for Japan's plummeting birth rate appears to be a change in women's lifestyles couple with cultural factors, according to Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA.

As in many developed countries, women are marrying later and putting off having children for the sake of a career.

But Japanese culture has exacerbated the problem, as women are typically expected to give up work entirely after marriage, a prospect which no longer appeals.

Meanwhile wages have largely stagnated while living costs have increased, meaning men face a significant drop in lifestyle in order to support a wife and children.

Births outside of wedlock are also a major taboo, meaning single motherhood has not picked up the slack, as it has in other countries.

An ageing population also means more work for the generations behind, with overtime culture in Japan blamed for people having less time to spend on family.

A report out last year found 11 per cent of Japanese companies had full-time staff who clocked a staggering 80 hours of overtime a month.

Online porn, virtual reality girlfriends and a general disinterest in sex have also been blamed, with a 2016 report showing that 40 per cent of young single men and women have never had sex, and most were not looking to change that.